C-N alum Wimbush signs with CFL's BC Lions
VANCOUVER, Canada - Fresh off a campaign where he was named the Indoor Football League's Special Teams Player of the Year, Carson-Newman Football All-American Antonio Wimbush ('19) has signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League.
VANCOUVER, Canada - Fresh off a campaign where he was named the Indoor Football League's Special Teams Player of the Year, Carson-Newman Football All-American Antonio Wimbush ('19) has signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League.
This marks Wimbush's third pro-football stop. He started his career in the IFL with the Iowa Barnstormers before winning this year's IFL National Championship with the Vegas Knighthawks. He joins safety Major Williams, who also signed on with the CFL's Winnipeg Blue Bombers earlier this month, as Eagles in Canada's pro league.
Wimbush earned the IFL's Special Teams Player of the Year award for his efforts over the summer. In 16 appearances this season, Wimbush recorded five touchdowns and 742 yards on 39 return attempts. This is in addition to his 625 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns. Wimbush was named Special Teams Player of the Week three times. He also established new single-season franchise records for kick-return yards and kick-return touchdowns for the Knighthawks.
Antonio Wimbush became the third member of Carson-Newman's 4,000-yard rushing club his senior year in 2019. He finished his career third all-time in rushing yards with 4,003. Wimbush had 17, 100-yard rushing performances for his career, good enough for second on the all-time list. Wimbush is the sixth player in program history with 40 career rushing touchdowns. He had 41 in his career. As a senior, Wimbush has tallied 1,123 yards rushing on 150 carries and 11 touchdowns. He is the sixth player in Carson-Newman history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing campaigns - joining Kenneth Tyson, Robert Thomas, Tyrone Westmoreland, Brandon Baker and Nate Inman.
Wimbush was named the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year after returning from an ACL tear in his sophomore season. He earned CSC Academic All-America honors as a senior and was a Don Hansen Football Gazette All-American as a junior in 2018. He was a three-time first team All-SAC selection.
